1862 Civil War dated image

(1815-81) The son of a 5 term United States Congressman, he was Born in Sandy Hill (now Hudson Falls) New York. He graduated with honors being #3 in his West Point class of 1835. He later studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1838 commencing his practice in Batavia, N.Y. where he served two terms as the district attorney. On August 9, 1861, he was commissioned brigadier general of volunteers and fought throughout the 1862 Virginia Peninsular campaign in command of a brigade of General Heintzelman's 3rd Corps. He served as military governor of Washington, D.C. until the spring of 1864, when he commanded a division of General "Baldy" Smith's 18th Corps at the battles of Cold Harbor, Bermuda Hundred and Petersburg, Va., subsequently commanding the corps itself until health problems forced him to resign. He was brevetted major general for his gallantry at the battle of Malvern Hill, Va. After the war he returned to his law practice in Rochester, N.Y., prominently handling many cases against the New York Central Railroad. He was elected Attorney General of New York serving from 1867-1869. He also was the Vice President of the National Asylum for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers for eleven years. He died in Nice, France on December 13, 1881, and was buried in Batavia, N.Y.

Wet plate, albumen carte de visite photograph, mounted to 2 3/8 x 4 card. Bust view in uniform. 1862, J.E. McClees and R.W. Addis imprint on the front mount. Back mark: J.E. McClee's, 910 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. Bottom 2 corners of the mount are very slightly trimmed. An excellent war dated carte de visite.